StrideAssist: a hip flexion assist patients will actually wear

Need statement

Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system, disrupting neural communication and, for many patients, causing hip flexion weakness that makes walking difficult. Hip flexion assist devices already exist to help — but the market-standard option is so uncomfortable and difficult to put on that patients frequently stop wearing it, which defeats the point of prescribing it in the first place. The real design problem isn't just mechanical assistance; it's compliance.

BraceWorx's hip flexion assist device gets the mechanics right — a supportive waistband with rubber-band tension worked as a proof of concept — but the everyday experience of wearing it falls short in almost every other way.

StrideAssist reworks the same tension-band concept into a pair of form-fitting tights, so the assistive mechanism disappears under everyday clothing instead of announcing itself. Interchangeable tension bands keep the device adjustable to each patient's needs while the garment itself handles fit and comfort.

Fabrication turned out to be the hardest part of the project. The belt needed to stay stiff while the tights needed to stretch, and off-the-shelf leggings didn't leave enough room to route the tension bands the way we needed. Threads frayed, needles broke, and the chosen material combination pushed past what any of us had sewn before — until two far more experienced sewists stepped in and helped get a working prototype across the finish line.

Next steps: adding fabric channels to the legs to hide the rubber bands, distributing force across a wider area of the foot rather than concentrating it, and offering a range of styles and fits so the device works for more body types.